Egg supporting means for incubators



Oct. 24, 1939. J. M. HEUER 2,177,255

' EGG SUPPORTING MEANS FOR INCUBATORS Filed Dec. 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F] El .5.

0d. 24, 1939. J. M HEUER 2,177,255

EGG SUPPORTING MEANS FOR INCUBATORS Filed Dec. 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "WW-F1 13-5- A A w" lll l llll lliilllllIi'ill Patented Oct. 24,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'EGG SUPPORTING MEANS FOR INCUBATORS John Merlin Heuer, Yodcr, Wyo.

Application December 30, 1935, Serial No. 56,781

Claims. (01. 119-44) My invention is along the lines of my co-pendarrangement, of the parts and the operating ing application for patent filed June 19, 193 3, mechanism;

Serial #676,584, which has become Patent No. Figure 2 is a vertical section through my incu- 2,126,959, issued Aug. 16,1938, and is a continuabator and shows the relationship of the various 5 tion in part thereof, and has reference to strucparts; 5 'ture for supporting eggs and turning the same, Figure 3 is a detail of the means for tilting the and to such other details of construction as are trays; described but not claimed in my pending appli- Figure 4 is a detail of the means for operating cation. the trays shown with the trays in tilted posi- In my present invention the incubator cabinet tion; is provided with a rotating frame in which a Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the autoseries of superposed, spaced egg :trays is supmatic gear, eccentric and catch mechanism for ported to the end that the greatest number of actuating the tilting mechanism at stated intereggs may be incubated in the space afforded by vals;

the incubator. The frame is preferably formed Figure 6 is a front view of the automatic actu- 15 with pivoted members on which the several ating mechanism; trays are mounted, and these in turn are con- Figure '7 is a perspective view of a tray shownected with actuating means whereby the trays ing the egg supporting and spacing member or are tilted when desired to turn the eggs supframe.

2 ported therein. The tiltable elements comprise Figure 8 is a view of the automatic gear, cooperating tracks for each tray, and are carried eccentric, and catch mechanism, looking up from by the frame elements; the track members of the bottom thereof, and

each frame being pivotally connected to each Figure 9 is a section through parts 43 and 43a other for simultaneous movement. The arrange- (plate spring and catch) at the time of engagement of the frame, the tracks and the actuating ment. 25 means therefor are unique and especially ad- In the drawings wherein like characters of vantageous since the desired results are obtained reference are used to designate like or similar with a minimum of mechanical structure and parts; without taking up undue space within the incu- The numeral l designates my cabinet which 301331301. The trays are provided with means for has a top 2, a bottom 3, end walls 4, and side properly supporting and spacing the eggs, and walls 5. The cabinet may be of any suitable these supporting and spacing elements are reshape or construction. Vertically mounted in movable. The frame structure is formed of but anti friction bearing elements 6 in the top 2 sixmajor pieces; the upper and lower horizontal and bottom 3 is a shaft 1 carrying a frame 8 3:3 supporting beams and the rectangular vertically on which the egg trays 9 are removably and tiltarranged track and tray carrying members, two ably mounted. The shaft and frame are rotatextending outwardly from each side of the supable, and the upper end of the shaft 1 has porting beams. In practice the entire frame can mounted thereon a gear l0 meshing with a worm be cleaned and kept in proper condition, and drive gear II on the shaft l2 hung in journal circulation of air is not interfered with nor rebearings l3 attached to the top of the housing 40 tarded, and there are no parts to become broken or cabinet. The egg tray carrying frame comor deranged, and the trays are subjected to a prises upper and lower horizontal supporting full draft of moistened and heated air so that beams l4 through whichthe shaft extends, and the eggs are properly hatched. The foregoing rectangular vertically arranged track and tray are some of the important advantages of my insupporting members I5 having top, bottom and 45 vention, but others will be apparent as the deside bars; said side bars designated by Hi. The tailed description proceeds, but the scope of my side bars 16 have mounted at spaced intervals invention is only to be determined by reference thereon L-shaped opposed brackets lGa which to the claims appended hereto and forming a part are each pivotally mounted on the side bars as of this specification. at IBb and on which the several egg trays 9 are 50 In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a removably supported; said brackets serving as preferred form of my invention; tracks for the trays. Each egg tray has end bars Figure 1 is a perspective view of my frame, I! and side bars l8 and a center reinforcing and and egg supporting and carrying means in perpartitioning member I9; a wire bottom 20 and a spective and partly broken away to show the name or number plate and handle 2|. Further- 55 the shaft 1.

more each end piece is cut away at its top edge to provide a ledge or abutment 22 on which the egg spacer 23 is seated. The egg spacer 23 is removably seated on the ledges 22 and is formed preferably of longitudinal frame members of wire and a plurality of transverse spacing wires. When the eggs are hatched the spacers; are removed.

The drive shaft for the egg tray frame, designated i2, extends outside the cabinet I and is connected by a pulley and belt 24 with a pulley 29 on a fan shaft 23. The fan shaft 23 in turn is connected by a pulley and a belt 21 to a moisture disc drive shaft 23. The shafts I2; 29; and 23 are driven from a pulley and belt connection 29 from a small motor 29a. The fan drive shaft 28 extends into the cabinet and carries a fan 33 thereon the purpose of which is to provide circulation of air in the cabinet through ventilators II and Ma. The moisture disc drive shaft 29 extends into the cabinet and has mounted thereon a moisture disc 32 which is arranged over a drip Dan 33 near the bottom of the cabinet for. imparting moisture to the interior of the cabinet and is more particularly shown and described in my co-pending application Serial #676,584. Said moisture disc is mounted on a hub 32a and is formed with a wire frame 32b and a fabric body and face 320 so that moisture is carried to all parts of the disc. A water tank 34 is located outside the cabinet and supplies water to the moisture disc through feed pipes 35, there being suitable openings 32d leading from the pipe through the hub 32a and there is a suitable thermostatically controlled heating element 36 for controlling the temperature within the cabinet.

In order that the egg trays may be tilted at the expiration of a suitable time interval, say every eight hours, I provide automatic means including a main gear 31 carried for free rotation on the collar 31a keyed as at 31b to the main shaft 1 of the frame. An eccentric 38 is also keyed as at 33a to the shaft 1, and above the eccentric, and free to move, is a gear 39 meshing with gear 31. Under ordinary circumstances the gears 31 and 39 simply revolve with However as the eccentric 38 revolves with the shaft and its shank 40 has the dog 4| pivoted thereon, the dog is moved to engage the ratchet wheel 42 carrying the plate spring 43, revolving the same step-by-step, until plate spring 43 engages the catch the sameto seat in one of the slots 43b in the gear wheel 39 so that gear 39 is locked against movement with the shaft 1 and imparts rotational movement to gear 31 thereby reciprocating the pitman 44 so that the trays are tilted, since the pitman 44 in turn is pivotally connected with a slidable collar 45 on the shaft 1. Said collar has a reduced upper end 46 on which are positioned four upstanding curved arms 41, each of which pivotally connects as at 43 with the connecting member 49 which is pivotally bolted or pinned to the several cooperating, superposed and spaced track or bracket members lGa so that as the collar is moved by the pitman 44 the trays supported thereon are tilted to an angle of say 45 so that the eggs will be turned. As gear 31 continues to revolve one of the fingers 50 thereon engages the latch and moves it from its slot returning the apparatus to a passive position at the completion of the tilting operation. The eggs are placed in the trays small ends down to facilitate tilting, the mechanism is preferably 43a moving a set to tilt them automatically once every eight hours. Suitable fastening means can be provided to prevent sliding of the trays when tilted.

To further define the operation of the above parts it is pointed out that gear wheel 31 is essentially an idler and is carried around the path of travel of shaft 1 since it is mounted-on collar 310 which is keyed to shaft 1 as at 31b to rotate with it. Gear 39 is also free to rotate around'shaft 1 and is always in mesh with gear 31. Thus gears 31 and 39 ordinarily simply idle. However gear 39 is notched so that as it travels around the notch comes into the path of the member 43a which engages in the notch and holds gear 39 stationary. Since gear 31 continues to travel or follow in the path of rotational travel of shaft 1, and gear 39 is now stationary and is in mesh with gear 31; then gear 31 will now be rotated and will actuate member 44 to move collar 45 which in turn tilts the trays. In the meantime eccentric 38 which is keyed to shaft 1 to move at all times therewith functions through pitman 40 and dog 4| to move gear 42 step by step until spring 43 comes into contact with member 43a and when spring 43 contacts with member 4311 that member is thrown into position to engage intothe notch, i. c. it is thrown up into the notch so that as the notch is moved into position the member 43a is moved into position to engage it. This action is positive and is the action that tilts the trays. As the step-by-step movement of gear 42 continues the spring 43 passes member 43a, but member 430 still stays into engagement with the notch in gear 39. until one of the fingers 50, moving around the gear 31 engages member 4311 and pushes it down out of the notch to release gear 39 again.

From the foregoing it will rectangular member l5of which there are preferably four, or there may be more-supports a bank of trays, and that each bank of trays is tilted by an arm 41 on the collar 45; there are therefore four arms, but there should be as many arms as there are banks of trays. The construction is simple, efllcient and desirable.

Since details of construction, and size, shape and arrangement of parts may be changed to conform to varying requirements of practice, the right to make such changes is reserved provided the same fall within the scope of the appended claims. a

I claim:

1. In an incubator, a. rotatable vertical shaft, means for rotating said shaft, 2. frame on said shaft including upper and lower horizontal pieces, and vertical rectangular members on the horizontal pieces, egg trays carried by said vertical members, pivoted bracket members on said vertical members for supporting said trays, said trays having removable supporting and spacing members for normally retaining the eggs in rows with the small ends down, meansconnecting certain of said bracket members in cooperating series, a slidable collar on the shaft, arms on the collar connecting the same with the means connecting the respective series of brackets, and means for moving said collar up and down on the shaft to tilt the brackets and trays whereby to turn the eggs.

2. In an incubator, a vertical rotatable shaft, means for rotating the shaft, a shaft including upper and lower horizontal supporting members, vertically arranged substantially rectangular members carried on the horibe seen that each I frame on the zontal members and extending laterally therefrom, cooperating, opposed tracks arranged in superposed spaced relationship in said vertical members and pivoted thereto, means connecting certain of said tracks so that they pivot in unison, trays removably carried on the tracks, a slidable collar on the shaft having a reduced upper end, arms on said reduced end connected with said connecting means for the tracks, a pitman connected with the collar, and means including gear connections and a trip unit for automatically reciprocating the pitman at stated times to slide said collar on the shaft to tilt said trays.

3. An incubator comprising a cabinet, a frame in the cabinet, a plurality of trays for carrying eggs to be hatched, a vertical shaft in the cabinet on which the frame is carried, a slidable element on the shaft, a plurality of brackets pivotally connected to the frame, means connecting certain of said brackets to form cooperating sets, said trays supported by said brackets, means connecting the sliding element with the sets of brackets to move the same to tilt the said trays -to turn the eggs therein when the sliding element is moved up and down on the shaft, and means for moving said sliding element.

4. An incubator, comprising a cabinet, a vertical shaft supported in the cabinet, a frame carried by the shaft, pivoted bracket members carried by the frame, means connecting certain of said bracket members together to form cooperating sets, trays removably carried by the brackets, and means on the shaft for tilting the brackets to turn the eggs in the trays, said means comprising a collar slidable on the shaft with arms operably connected with the means connecting the respective sets of brackets, and means for sliding said collar.

5. In an incubator, a vertical shaft, upperv and lower horizontal members carried on the shaft, rectangular vertically positioned frame members on the horizontal members, superposed, spaced L-shaped brackets pivoted on the frames and certain of the said brackets connected together to form cooperating sets, trays on the brackets, and means for tilting said brackets, said means comprising a collar slidable on the shaft, and arms operatively connected with the bracket connecting means of the sets of brackets, and means for sliding said collar.

JOHN MERLiN HEUER. 

